Resolution

The sheer 14mp spec of the sensor doesn't tell the whole story in terms of resolution. The effective resolution is also dependent on the AA-filter (low-pass filter in front of the sensor) and the in-camera signal processing. As already mentioned the Samsung NX10 features a comparatively big APS-C sensor of 3,65cm² and a pixel pitch of 5.1 µm. Let's have a closer look to the maximum normalised resolution of the Samsung and how it competes vs other DSLRs & EVILs out there. The following chart compares the NX10 to some of the more popular cameras out there. The resolution analysis is based on RAW files, transformed to DNG and converted to JPG using the same Adobe Camera RAW version. The following data represents the center resolution @ ISO 200 using the Samsung lens 30mm f/2.0 on the NX10.

Not all cameras with the same number of mega-pixels provide the same output resolution. The output quality depends on a variety of factors: lens quality + AA filter + sensor resolution + in-camera processing + (optionally) external (PC-based) post-processing. Modulation Transfer Function (MTF) Tests are among the most accurate and scientific tests to compare the resolution of different sensors. If you want to find out more about MTF, check out our technology section

The second chart is an indicator for the strength of the AA filter which sits in front of the sensor.

You may notice that the Panasonic G-series has a pixel-to-pixel sharpness beyond 100%. The Imatest testing procedure can look somewhat beyond Nyquist (because the characteristic of the test target is known). The real resolution cannot be higher than 100% of course - actually it is quite a bit less than that due to the Bayer interpolation used for conventional senors.

Despite the pretty good sensor specifications the results aren't overly impressive. The sensor unit has no real advantage over the smaller micro-four-thirds sensor EVILs nor the Sony NEX-5. It seems as if Samsung is using a comparatively strong AA-filter (just like Sony did on the Alpha 550 DSLR). This has advantages in terms of avoiding moiree-effects but this comes at costs of a rather mediocre "micro-contrast".